Post-hole digger



(No Model.)

O. L. CARTER.

POST HOLE BIGGER. r No. 283,753. Patented Aug. 28, 1883.

UNIT D TATns CLEMENT CARTER, OE UNION CITY, INDIANA.

POST-HOLE DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,753, dated August28,1883. I

Application filed July 5, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLEMENT L. CARTER, ofUnion City, in the county of Randolph and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Hole Diggers; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form -a part of this specification,and in which Figure l'is a perspective view of my improved post-holedigger or earth-auger. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 isa View of my auger-blade with my secondary blade attached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in eachfigure.

My invention has relation to post-hole diggers; and it consists in theimproved construction and combination of parts of a post-hole diggerhaving two concavo-convex blades and two secondary blades. Theconcave-convex blades are secured rigidly to the lower end of two barshinged together, and each bent side- Ward to form the handles, andhaving means for holding them adjustably together, as hereinafter morefully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letters A A indicate the twocutting-blades,which are concave-convex, and their cutting-edge Hisperpendicular, excepting about two inches of the lower end, S, is cut atan angle of fortyfive degrees with the perpendicular cuttingedge H. Theblades A A are rigidly connected to the lower ends of the two bars 0 O,which are bent a short distance above the cuttingblades A A, so as to beparallel one upon the other, with their flat surfaces together, and arehinged at f. The upper ends of the bars 0 O are bent sideward to formthe handles D D. The notched bar F is hinged to one of the bars 0 underthe handle at (Z, The object of the notched bar F is to engage by meansof the notches with the lug e to hold the bars 0 C rigidly in position.The lever E,-being pivoted to the notched bar F at b, and resting on thelug 6, forms a combination by means of which the operator, by liftingthe lever E, disengages the notched bar F, when the auger can be openedor closed at will.

In the construction of my improved postauger blades for anordinary-sized auger, I cut the steel ten inches long and five incheswide. The upper cutting-edge, H, is left straight eight inches; thelower two inches.

S is cut at an angle of fortyfive degrees with the cutting-edge H. Theopposite lower edge, 0, is slightly rounded or pointed. The edges H S 0,Fig. 3, are sharpened for cutting purposes. The blades are then bent orcurved to correspond with the sized hole the anger is intended to out.

My attachment or secondary blade is not intended for boring purposes,but only for reaming after the hole is made: It is made of steel, abouteight inches long and three inches wide, with straps of iron or othermetal riveted near one edge. These straps are bent at each end, as seenat a a, Fig. 2, so as to fit the primary augenblades. When the augerwill not make a hole as large as desired, one' of the secondary blades,as seen at B, Fig. 1, and the detached blade, Fig. 3, is attached toeach of the auger-blades. The hole can then be reamed to'almost any sizedesired, making a valuable attachment for setting telegraph-poles.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. The secondary blades B, incombination with the primary blades A A, as and for the purposes setforth. 7

2. The lever E, in combination with the notched bar F and the lug e, asand for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLEMENT L..CARTER. [L. s.]

\Vitnesses:

11F. BRAGG, E. S. BRADBURY.

